Most helpful positive review

"The Lost Future" (2010) is definitive proof that TV films can rise to greatness. It's a sci-fi/adventure hybrid in the spirit of "Beneath the Planet of the Apes," but without the apes.

THE PLOT: In a post-apocalyptic world a small tribe of hunters & gatherers are forced to go beyond their normal hunting grounds to secure meat, which enables the "beasts" to find their village and attack. These "beasts" are actually diseased humans who are mad and zombie-like. Their disease spreads through bites, scratches or even breath. Three members of the tribe escape the siege in the hope of finding help from people outside their hunting grounds. They soon learn of a powder that can make them immune to the disease. Can they get the help they need and return to their besieged families before it's too late?

Although there are no apes, the similarities to "Beneath the Planet of the Apes" are obvious: Both films take place in post-apocalyptic societies, both feature people living in primitive conditions, both include human mutants, and both include hot cavebabes. The films differ in that their plots are totally different and "The Lost Future" has a lot more action; plus "The Lost future" - although completely serious - has a slightly more comic book vibe.

Like the first two installments in the "Planet of the Apes" series and all great sci-fi films "The Lost Future" addresses important themes beyond the surface story. For instance, the downside of religion is addressed: Religionists tend to turn inward and stagnate in the name of conservatism, while truth-seekers look beyond the limiting parameters set by the religious rulers (a type of legalists, like the Pharisees and teachers of the law in the New Testament). The false doctrines and flawed mentalities of the religionists may temporarily keep the tribe (or church or denomination) safe but they're ultimately detrimental since only the truth can set free, as Jesus himself declared (John 8:31-32). This is just a taste; there's more subtext, like selfless sacrifice for the greater cause.

The protagonists are all likable and honorable with Sam Claflin standing out as Kaleb, an underdog who rises to the challenge. An interesting side note is that Caleb in the Bible, along with Joshua, were honored by God for having a "different spirit" - a spirit of faith. This is the only hope for Kaleb's tribe in the film - the wild, bold faith it takes to break free of the confines of the religionists to find the truth and freedom, for him and his people. Corey Sevier and Sean Bean also have important masculine roles.

The film features two outstanding women: The breathtaking Annabelle Wallis as Dorel, the main female protagonist, and the incredible Hannah Tointon as Giselle, who plays a significant role in the final act. Also worthy of mention is Eleanor Tomlinson as the precious Miru, Kaleb's sister who does her best to survive the cave-siege.

The film has a worthy villain with Jonathan Pienaar as the arrogant Gagen, who also doesn't appear until the last act. Since Gagen possesses the last of the immunization powder he also controls the remaining human populace. Unfortunately he's gotten used to his position of power and therefore isn't open to ideas that are for the greater good of humanity.

Another plus is the magnificent locations, shot in Capetown and Western Cape, South Africa, of all places. Outstanding job on this front. In addition, although this is a low-budget TV film the sets and CGI (like the giant sloth) are quite impressive.

At a lean 91 minutes there's no fat.

FINAL SAY: The low-ratings by other reviewers are totally inexplicable. Don't believe them. "The Lost Future" is an excellent modern sci-fi adventure in the spirit of "Beneath the Planet of the Apes." Although made-for-TV, It's a hidden gem in a sea of cinematic drek.

Imagine a primitive land where a haggard tribe battles for survival amongst the dangers of a dwindling food supply and a neighboring horde of mutants. Everyone is dressed in attractively constructed savage-wear, furs and leather draped just so to accentuate nubile young bodies. It may look like a gorgeous location shoot for a trendy modeling fashion layout--but, NO! This is the future! "The Lost Future" presents just such a scenario. Set at some time in the indeterminate future, this band of sultry survivors think they are the last people on earth. On a hunting mission, they encroach on the mutant's territory which causes a retaliatory strike. Just who came up with this property division in the first place? And you've got to credit the carnivorous monsters for abiding to the strict letter of the agreement for so long. They can't be all bad! With the tribe and its elders in peril, three young protagonists set out on a quest for help. Luckily, they meet the invaluable Sean Bean who raises questions about everything they were taught to believe.

Bean knew one of the adventurer's father, and he thinks that the son just might hold the key to saving mankind. Why? Here's the pivotal plot point. He can read. Yes, apparently no one on earth bothered to pass on even the most minimal of education through the years. This is especially amusing, as every character speaks with modern colloquialisms and phrases. The dialogue is so contemporary, in fact, it really doesn't support the fact that so much time has passed or that we've seemingly regressed in our educational capabilities. The town elders have been reduced to bumbling religious zealots with no instinct for self-preservation. I know that no one is looking for authenticity--I'm just saying. If you are, however, looking for complex mythology or explanation--don't bother. What happened is only mentioned in the vaguest of terms, the mutant issue is completely unexplored, and the miracle cure must just be taken at face value with zero contemplation.

Still, it's hard not to appreciate the silliness. And it is well done for this type of B-movie mayhem. A battle with an enormous sloth is well staged and the mutants are like zombies on steroids. The creatures oftentimes hold more entertainment value than the sometimes bland actors. Sam Claflin as the unlikely hero has some strong moments (when he isn't inappropriately flirting in life or death moments). And Bean is so welcome and grounded. His seriousness and weight seem like they might be from another film altogether. Despite the movie's marketing, however, Bean is only a supporting player here--and you miss him when he's off screen. This epic premiered in the U.S. on the SyFy Network and, in truth, it is more solid than most of their endeavors. There is fun to be had with "The Lost Future" as long as one's expectations are in check. On the bad movie scale, about 3 1/2 stars--not quite cheesy enough to get an upgrade. KGHarris, 9/11.

Imagine a primitive land where a haggard tribe battles for survival amongst the dangers of a dwindling food supply and a neighboring horde of mutants. Everyone is dressed in attractively constructed savage-wear, furs and leather draped just so to accentuate nubile young bodies. It may look like a gorgeous location shoot for a trendy modeling fashion layout--but, NO! This is the future! "The Lost Future" presents just such a scenario. Set at some time in the indeterminate future, this band of sultry survivors think they are the last people on earth. On a hunting mission, they encroach on the mutant's territory which causes a retaliatory strike. Just who came up with this property division in the first place? And you've got to credit the carnivorous monsters for abiding to the strict letter of the agreement for so long. They can't be all bad! With the tribe and its elders in peril, three young protagonists set out on a quest for help. Luckily, they meet the invaluable Sean Bean who raises questions about everything they were taught to believe.

Bean knew one of the adventurer's father, and he thinks that the son just might hold the key to saving mankind. Why? Here's the pivotal plot point. He can read. Yes, apparently no one on earth bothered to pass on even the most minimal of education through the years. This is especially amusing, as every character speaks with modern colloquialisms and phrases. The dialogue is so contemporary, in fact, it really doesn't support the fact that so much time has passed or that we've seemingly regressed in our educational capabilities. The town elders have been reduced to bumbling religious zealots with no instinct for self-preservation. I know that no one is looking for authenticity--I'm just saying. If you are, however, looking for complex mythology or explanation--don't bother. What happened is only mentioned in the vaguest of terms, the mutant issue is completely unexplored, and the miracle cure must just be taken at face value with zero contemplation.

Still, it's hard not to appreciate the silliness. And it is well done for this type of B-movie mayhem. A battle with an enormous sloth is well staged and the mutants are like zombies on steroids. The creatures oftentimes hold more entertainment value than the sometimes bland actors. Sam Claflin as the unlikely hero has some strong moments (when he isn't inappropriately flirting in life or death moments). And Bean is so welcome and grounded. His seriousness and weight seem like they might be from another film altogether. Despite the movie's marketing, however, Bean is only a supporting player here--and you miss him when he's off screen. This epic premiered in the U.S. on the SyFy Network and, in truth, it is more solid than most of their endeavors. There is fun to be had with "The Lost Future" as long as one's expectations are in check. On the bad movie scale, about 3 1/2 stars--not quite cheesy enough to get an upgrade. KGHarris, 9/11.

Imagine a primitive land where a haggard tribe battles for survival amongst the dangers of a dwindling food supply and a neighboring horde of mutants. Everyone is dressed in attractively constructed savage-wear, furs and leather draped just so to accentuate nubile young bodies. It may look like a gorgeous location shoot for a trendy modeling fashion layout--but, NO! This is the future! "The Lost Future" presents just such a scenario. Set at some time in the indeterminate future, this band of sultry survivors think they are the last people on earth. On a hunting mission, they encroach on the mutant's territory which causes a retaliatory strike. Just who came up with this property division in the first place? And you've got to credit the carnivorous monsters for abiding to the strict letter of the agreement for so long. They can't be all bad! With the tribe and its elders in peril, three young protagonists set out on a quest for help. Luckily, they meet the invaluable Sean Bean who raises questions about everything they were taught to believe.

Bean knew one of the adventurer's father, and he thinks that the son just might hold the key to saving mankind. Why? Here's the pivotal plot point. He can read. Yes, apparently no one on earth bothered to pass on even the most minimal of education through the years. This is especially amusing, as every character speaks with modern colloquialisms and phrases. The dialogue is so contemporary, in fact, it really doesn't support the fact that so much time has passed or that we've seemingly regressed in our educational capabilities. The town elders have been reduced to bumbling religious zealots with no instinct for self-preservation. I know that no one is looking for authenticity--I'm just saying. If you are, however, looking for complex mythology or explanation--don't bother. What happened is only mentioned in the vaguest of terms, the mutant issue is completely unexplored, and the miracle cure must just be taken at face value with zero contemplation.

Still, it's hard not to appreciate the silliness. And it is well done for this type of B-movie mayhem. A battle with an enormous sloth is well staged and the mutants are like zombies on steroids. The creatures oftentimes hold more entertainment value than the sometimes bland actors. Sam Claflin as the unlikely hero has some strong moments (when he isn't inappropriately flirting in life or death moments). And Bean is so welcome and grounded. His seriousness and weight seem like they might be from another film altogether. Despite the movie's marketing, however, Bean is only a supporting player here--and you miss him when he's off screen. This epic premiered in the U.S. on the SyFy Network and, in truth, it is more solid than most of their endeavors. There is fun to be had with "The Lost Future" as long as one's expectations are in check. On the bad movie scale, about 3 1/2 stars--not quite cheesy enough to get an upgrade. KGHarris, 9/11.

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Unimaginative ripoff of past Apocalyptic future movies where "us-humans" have done ourselves in, again, for I don't know the umpteeth movie. See "Planet of the Apes ..." or the '60s "Time Machine", not that "Lost 90 Minutes" is in their league. The only person of note is Bean and all he has to do is have "the look"; say a few lines and then pick up the royalties.

Most amusing were the mutants who at times had the "walk like a zombie"; at times gallop like a werewolf; at times fly like a vampire routines going. Talk about touching all your bases. The producers tried to be cute clever for the first five minutes as the viewer tries to figure out the time period except that if you're sharp you immediately notice that the spear blade looks like a machine sharpened Yoshi or Kyocera ceramic knife.

Positive:Good set, and some CGI, ruined city effects.

Negatives:The quest to find the magic anti-mutant powder was cheap if not farfetched. The end of the movie seemed like the writers ran out of time, money or simply got bored.The spoken language was remarkably grammatically correct for people who cannot read.The usual fighting scenes between mutants and humans looked like cheap Hong Kong '70s martial arts.Costumes looked like store bought tailored but polished fake leather.Heavy cosmetics on the ladies really doesn't add to the desolate future feel.Fighting a CGI giant sloth seemed like overkill for a small piece of meat the size of your hand. I just didn't see the point other than to show off CGI skills.

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... and my expectations were low to begin with, given the premise, and that I'd never heard of it. After watching it, I can't believe it's averaging at 3 stars. From the opening credits, it had the feel of bad made-for-tv production and it got worse from there. Cliche'd writing, poor acting, a predictable story line, no surprising twists or character development... Worse than the rental cost was the time wasted watching. Skip this one.

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I love my science fiction, but this fell far short of creating a very interesting movie to watch. The cave scenes were poorly managed and I think some more could have been done with trying to build the story between the "beasts" and those that were trapped in there. The rest of the story moves slowly and just does not come together that well. This amazing elixir and and how it was created seems plausible, but when the son struggles to read a book I found it difficult to build a realistic relationship between how he could be a replacement as the person to help the future.

It was just too far fetched and the movie did nothing to support that theory. Other than that you still wanted to know how the characters developed, but they just left you hanging to much that you could just not get into the movie that much. So if you are a die hard who just does not stop in the middle of the movie then watch and see. That is all I can say about that.

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Movie?? More like "The Lost Ending", a TV Pilot for a series. I would have given it 1 1/2 stars but Sean Bean played a part, and not the lead role. The ending kind of leaves you hanging about what happens and if they can make the "cure" in time as the hero walks off back to the city.

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"The Lost Future" (2010) is definitive proof that TV films can rise to greatness. It's a sci-fi/adventure hybrid in the spirit of "Beneath the Planet of the Apes," but without the apes.

THE PLOT: In a post-apocalyptic world a small tribe of hunters & gatherers are forced to go beyond their normal hunting grounds to secure meat, which enables the "beasts" to find their village and attack. These "beasts" are actually diseased humans who are mad and zombie-like. Their disease spreads through bites, scratches or even breath. Three members of the tribe escape the siege in the hope of finding help from people outside their hunting grounds. They soon learn of a powder that can make them immune to the disease. Can they get the help they need and return to their besieged families before it's too late?

Although there are no apes, the similarities to "Beneath the Planet of the Apes" are obvious: Both films take place in post-apocalyptic societies, both feature people living in primitive conditions, both include human mutants, and both include hot cavebabes. The films differ in that their plots are totally different and "The Lost Future" has a lot more action; plus "The Lost future" - although completely serious - has a slightly more comic book vibe.

Like the first two installments in the "Planet of the Apes" series and all great sci-fi films "The Lost Future" addresses important themes beyond the surface story. For instance, the downside of religion is addressed: Religionists tend to turn inward and stagnate in the name of conservatism, while truth-seekers look beyond the limiting parameters set by the religious rulers (a type of legalists, like the Pharisees and teachers of the law in the New Testament). The false doctrines and flawed mentalities of the religionists may temporarily keep the tribe (or church or denomination) safe but they're ultimately detrimental since only the truth can set free, as Jesus himself declared (John 8:31-32). This is just a taste; there's more subtext, like selfless sacrifice for the greater cause.

The protagonists are all likable and honorable with Sam Claflin standing out as Kaleb, an underdog who rises to the challenge. An interesting side note is that Caleb in the Bible, along with Joshua, were honored by God for having a "different spirit" - a spirit of faith. This is the only hope for Kaleb's tribe in the film - the wild, bold faith it takes to break free of the confines of the religionists to find the truth and freedom, for him and his people. Corey Sevier and Sean Bean also have important masculine roles.

The film features two outstanding women: The breathtaking Annabelle Wallis as Dorel, the main female protagonist, and the incredible Hannah Tointon as Giselle, who plays a significant role in the final act. Also worthy of mention is Eleanor Tomlinson as the precious Miru, Kaleb's sister who does her best to survive the cave-siege.

The film has a worthy villain with Jonathan Pienaar as the arrogant Gagen, who also doesn't appear until the last act. Since Gagen possesses the last of the immunization powder he also controls the remaining human populace. Unfortunately he's gotten used to his position of power and therefore isn't open to ideas that are for the greater good of humanity.

Another plus is the magnificent locations, shot in Capetown and Western Cape, South Africa, of all places. Outstanding job on this front. In addition, although this is a low-budget TV film the sets and CGI (like the giant sloth) are quite impressive.

At a lean 91 minutes there's no fat.

FINAL SAY: The low-ratings by other reviewers are totally inexplicable. Don't believe them. "The Lost Future" is an excellent modern sci-fi adventure in the spirit of "Beneath the Planet of the Apes." Although made-for-TV, It's a hidden gem in a sea of cinematic drek.

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I didn't like this film at all, I barely managed to finish watching it and I am really sorry that I bought it. Below, more of my impressions with VERY LIMITED SPOILERS.

This film was made for Syfy TV and is a post-apocalyptic SF story about a small tribe of humans, struggling to survive in a country of wild forests and marshes when avoiding mutant beasts which carry a horrible disease. With time most people forgot even how to read and write and as the result of all the hardships the memories of once powerful human civilization are fading. But one day a small ray of hope appears with news that somebody may have found the cure for the disease...

With just a minimum effort to improve dialogs and character development this could be actually a good story - but sadly this effort was not made. Characters are barely drafted and stereotyped, dialogs are very poor, there is no humour, acting is wooden and Sean Bean (unlike what is suggested on the cover) appears only briefly. There is only one reasonably good scene, in which tribal people hunt a giant mutant sloth - and that is all. All the rest is total "Bantha pudu" as Jabba the Hutt used to say...

I threw away the DVD immediately after watching it, as I don't think it was worthy even giving away for charity sale. I lost my money (OK, not much, I bought it used) and especially one evening I will never get back. Don't make the same mistake and AVOID this thing as deadly plague carried by giant mutant sloths...